Closure cap and package



Sept. 12, 1939. I w. P. WHITE 2,172,325

CLOSURECAP AND PACKAGE Filed April 26, 1937 :w. "Hm

WZZZa Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES CLOSURE CAP AND PACKAGEWilliam P. White, Glencoe, Ill., assignor to White Cap Company, Chicago,111., a corporation of Delaware Application April 26, 1937, Serial No.138,957

- 4 Claims.

This invention relates to packages and to 010- sure caps for thestoppering and sealing of bottles and the like, such as bottles forcatsup, sauces, lotions and other commodities which are dispensed fromthe bottle in small quantities from time. to time.

A general object of the invention is the provision of such a closurewhich may be manufactured at low cost, which can be applied to thereceptacle with facility and will hold its place securely thereon andseal the receptacle hermetic-ally, and which can be repeatedly removedand re-applied conveniently by hand.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out orindicated hereinafter, or will be apparent upon an understanding of theinvention or its employment in use.

For the purpose of aiding in an explanation of the invention I show inthe accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, andhereinafter describe, one embodiment of it. It is to be understood,however, that the specific example here shown and described is presentedfor the purpose of illustration only and is not to be construed in anyfashion calculated to limit the appended claims short of the true andmost comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a closureconstituting subject matter of the invention, the section being taken ona diameter thereof;

Fig. 2 is a top View of such closure cap;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of same;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of same; andv Fig. 5 is a sectionalelevational view of a pack-age constituting subject matter of theinvention, showing the closure in sealing position on the receptacle.

There are numerous commodities which are dispensed or consumed a littleat a time, but which it is important to package tightly in order toprevent spoilage or evaporation. Hence, it is desirable that the closurefor the packaging receptacle be of a character such as to seal thereshown in the drawing, which will now be described. a

The closure cap here illustrated is adapted particularly for the sealingof bottles of catsup, sauces or the like, as well as other commodities,such as lotions, toilet water, liquors and the like, which are ofvolatile character. Commodities such as catsup and sauces arecustomarily sealed while hot, and in some instances it is desirable toremove or exhaust the air from the head space in the bottle preliminaryto the initial sealing. The closure comprises a shell, of metal or othersuitable material, formed of a top portion In and a depending annularskirt portion II. In order to render the closure easily handled andmanipulated in the operations of removing it from the bottle andre-applying it, the skirt portion H is made of considerable depth. Thelower portion Ha of the skirt is of flaring form, and terminates at anarrow inturned flange I lb. f

The sealing element is an elastic compressible gasket l2, of rubber orthe like. This gasket, which is of the sleeve type, is originally ofcylindrical form and of an external diameter somewhat greater than themaximum internal diameter of the skirt portion Ila. For insertion intothe shell, the gasket is contracted or constricted circumferentially, sothat it is elastically compressed to a size permitting its introductionwithin the skirt, where it is held in a compressed condition by theencompassing portions of the skirt against which its periphery rests.Thus, the lower portion of the gasket is given a conic or flaring form,while its upper portion extends slightly above the flaring portion (1 ofthe skirt and its lower margin rests against the flange 1 lb. The gasketis quite materially shorter or shallower than the shell skirt, so thatits upper margin is spaced a considerable distance below the top portionIn of the shell and is free or unconfined against upward movement orelongation along the skirt.

This closure cap is designed for cooperation with a suitable receptacle,such as a bottle, V, which has at its mouth a peripheral sea ingsurface, S, of approximately cylindrical form. The diameter of the shellskirt and the thickness of the gasket are such that 'the rim of thevessel may be received within the flaring lower portion of the gasket,but that the upper portion of the gasket will have an internal diametersubstantially smaller than the external diameter of the sealing surfaceS. The closure is sealed on the vessel by pressing it downwardlythereon, thus forcing. the sealing surface of the .vessel into theconstricted portion of the gasket. Incident to this operation, the upperportion of the gasket is compressed between the sealing surface andretaining the closure securely in place.

The intrusion of the bottle mouth into the constricted portion of thegasket produces a very pronounced drag on the latter, tending to movethe gasket bodily upward in the shell. In order to prevent excessivelocal elongation or displacement of the gasket bodily upward, such asmight occur at one side of the receptacle mouth while the opposite sideof the gasket remains in place, .I provide. the upper portion of theskirt with inwardly jutting portions 14. These may be formed by fiutingthe upper portion of the skirt in the manner illustrated in the drawing.These inwardly jutting portions are spaced an apprecible distance abovethe initial level of the upper margin of the gasket, so as to allow forthe necessary amount of upward stretching of the gasket as abovedescribed, and these inwardly jutting portions form an abutmentextending circumferentially of the skirt, for the purpose of definitelylimiting the extent to which the gasket may be displaced or elongatedupwardly in the shell. It is to be understood that this abutment forlimiting upward movement of the gasket may be formed in other fashions,such as by a continuous inwardly jutting bead or shoulder on the skirtat a distance above the gasket and below the shell top, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. When formed in the mannerdescribed, the fluted external form of'the skirt facilities the securegripping of the closure by the hand in the operations of removing andre-applying it to the receptacle. The provision of an abutment in whichthere are spaces, such as the spaces between the inwardly juttingportions l4, affords a safeguard against pinching of the gasket materialagainst the top rimv of the re ceptacle, as the elastic material isthereby afforded room to move laterally from between the receptacle rimand the overlying lower ends of the inwardly projecting portions. Theabutment formed by the inwardly jutting portions may be relied upon alsoto limit the extent to which the mouth of the receptacle may be insertedinto the shell.

However, to prevent distortion of the inwardly jutting portions, whichmight occur if the closure were forced down on the receptacle to suchextent that they were jammed against its mouth portion, I prefer toprovide the receptacle with .a stop for cooperation with the lowermargin of the shell. This is accomplished by forming the receptacle witha peripheral outstanding ledge ii, of a diameter approximately the sameas that of the lower margin of the shell, and providing on this ledge aplurality of upwardly projecting lugs or protuberances I6, which are ofsmall size and are spaced from one another circumferentially of theledge I5 Preferably, there should be three of these stop lugs, spaced atequidistant intervals. They are located in position to contact theflange llb of the shell when-the closure is pressed down to propersealing position on the receptacle. Thus they prevent the jamming of theinwardly jutting portions I4 against the rim of the receptacle, and theyalso space the intervening portions of the flange llb from the ledge l5,so as to permit the insertion of a suitable prying implementtherebetween for the purpose of exerting upward prying pressure on theclosure.

The use of such an implement in such a fashion may be necessary in theinitial opening of a package, particularly if the air were displacedfrom within it preliminary to the sealing.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the closure constitutingthe subject matter of the present invention is adapted to be appliedwith facility and to form a very secure hermetic seal on the container.It is also to be observed that it may be manufactured at low cost andwith economy of materials, as the shell may be formed by simple pressingoperations and the gasket may be of quite limited height in comparisonto the depth of the shell] It is to be observed furthermore that theclosure, due to the liberal depth of the shell, is well adapted toconvenient manipulation in removal and re-application of the, closureincident to dispensing of portionsof the contents of the receptacle fromtime to time.

What I claim is: I

1. A closure cap for sealing packing receptacles, comprising a shellhaving a top and depending annular skirt which isv of a height such asto shell so that it may be elongated upwardly there-' in, the skirtbeing formed with a plurality of inwardly pressed flutings which extendfrom the top downwardly to a point spaced somewhat above the uppermargin of the gasket, the lower ends of said flutings forming anabutment for limiting upward displacement of the gasket along the skirt.

2. A closure cap as specified in claim 1 and wherein the lower portionof the shell skirt is of downwardly flaring form and the lower ends ofthe flutings are spaced a substantial distance above said flaringportion, the lower part of the gasket resting against said flaringportion of the skirt and conforming to the shape thereof.

3". A packaging container comprising a receptacle having a sealingsurface about its mouth portion and an outwardly projecting ledge belowsaid sealing surface, and a closure comprising a shell adapted toreceive the mouth portion of the receptacle and carrying a sealinggasket in position tobe compressed upon the sealing surface when theclosure is forced downwardly on the receptacle, said ledge beingprovided with upwardly extending narrow projections which are spacedapart from one another circumferentially of the receptacle in positionsto contact the lower margin of the shell and prevent its contacting theledge when the closure is forced to sealing position.

4. A packaging container comprising the combination with a closure capas specified in claim 1, of a receptacle having a mouth portion adaptedto be intruded within the sleeve gasket to compress it against theskirt, said receptacle having 'an outwardly projecting ledge spacedbelow its mouth rim by a .distance greater than that between the lowerends of said flutings and the lower rim of the-skirt, said ledgecarrying narrow upwardly projecting elements which are spaced apart-from one another circumferentially of the receptacle and are disposedin positions to contact the lower margin of the skirt when the closurecap is forced to sealing position.

WILLIAM P. WHITE.

